The 2012 International Conference on Information and Computer Networks ? ICICN 2012, aims to bring together researchers, scientists, engineers, and scholar students to exchange and share their experiences, new ideas, and research results about all aspects of Information and Computer Networks, and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted.
The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in Information and Computer Networks and related areas.
All accepted papers of ICICN 2012 will be published in the Volume of IPCSIT, which will be included in Engineering & Technology Digital Library, and indexed by Thomson ISI (Web of Knowledge), and sent to be reviewed and indexed by Ei Compendex.
Conference topics:
- Computer Networking - Mobile and Wireless Technologies (UWB, MIMO, WiMAX, etc.) and Networks - Radio Wave Propagation (modeling, channel measurements and characterization) - Distributed networks - Software Defined Radio - Network Protocols - Application of FPGA and DSP in Communication Devices and Networks - Ad-hoc Networks - Signal Processing for Wireless Communications - Modulation, Coding and Multiple Access Schemes in Communications - Infrastructure Protection - Interprocessor communications - Internet and Intranet Technologies and Services - Internet Applications - Intelligent Spatial and Co-located Data Access and Management - Information Theory and Coding Theory - Wireless communication - Networking Theory and Technologies - Antennas Simulation, Design, Measurements and Applications - Microwave (RF) System Simulations, Design, Build and Measurements - Network Operations - Hardware and Software Applications - Network and Data Security - Communication Protocols and Standards - Data communications - University-Industry Collaboration or Knowledge Transfer Activities - Network Architecture - Network Interfaces - Network Reliability - Network Performance - Network Management - Network protocols - Quality Service Issues - Wireless sensor networks - Wireless Protocol, Architecture and Design Concerns - Internetworking - Adhoc Networks - Heterogeneous Networks - High Performance Network Protocol - Services and Interconnection of High Speed Networks - Information networks - Methodologies and development for high speed Network - Performance in High Speed Network - Mobile Computing - VoIP Blue tooth Technology - Broadband Access Control - Wireless Access Control
Register for the 2012 International Conference on Information and Computer Networks ? ICICN 2012
Do you ever feel a strong urge to update or check Facebook?
Is the desire to Tweet overwhelming?and you have this compulsion to ?Tweet? for no particular reason?
Are you starting to wonder if you have a social media addiction?
Well joining the self help group ?social media addicts anonymous? may not be far away as a recent study by Chicago University has?revealed that social media is in fact more addictive than sex, alcohol and cigarettes!
Pinterest the New Addiction
Pinterest is the new addiction in town that has everyone blogging, tweeting and sharing the news on Facebook and it is the new ?hot? social network on the block.
It is a social media network that cannot be ignored.
According to Shareaholic?s recent report that used findings from more than 200,000 publishers and 260 million monthly unique visitors, it is driving more referral traffic than Google plus, LinkedIn and YouTube combined.
How do I use Pinterest?
You would think that social media marketing wouldn?t be a very visual topic that would use the Pinterest platform very effectively. In fact there is almost a visual element to anything and you may have noticed the ?Infographics? trend that has rapidly grown over the last 12 months which has surprised me.
What I am trialling on Pinterest is pinning ?Infographics? that are relevant to my target audience and currently with 60 pins and over 550 followers it is highly apparent that it taps into this visual touch point.
So I would encourage you to have some fun with Pinterest and tap into your creative side and find visual elements of your brand that will inspire and drive some sharing.
Whether you are thinking of securing a home or a business, an entrance alert is one of the first things you should consider. There are a variety of options and different types of technologies available which will allow you to protect your assets as well as keep your family members safe. Complete security systems for commercial, industrial and residential areas are more and more the norm and as the technology becomes more advanced, the options are also better.
Motion detectors and security cameras
These two devices seem to be the backbone of many entrance alert security systems nowadays. There are different types of motion detectors that incorporate technology such as sound waves, infrared, microwave and radio wave technology. The best motion detectors combine two or more of these technologies and all of them need to be triggered to begin a security event. This can be an important function for entrance alert systems, to eliminate the issues with false alarms that could end up with fines from the local fire- or police department if they occur too frequently.
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Security cameras are often combined with motion detection systems and are primed to begin recording if a motion event is triggered. The security event can send a warning to a remote monitoring center and security staff can then evaluate whether the entry is authorized or not and respond appropriately. Setting up an entrance alert system such as this assures that constant monitoring is not required and only responding to alerts detected by the system. There is always the backup video archiving feature available as well for those situations where security staff do not note a
Alerts and chimes for entrances
Another important aspect of security, especially in stores and other public customer service related businesses, are chimes for entryways. This type of entrance alert can be set up to be networked wirelessly or through an ethernet port to computers where the entryway can also be monitored with security cameras, or they can be simple mechanical or magnetic devices which merely alert a store owner that a customer has entered the building.
Door, window and other exit alarms and sensors
Pretty much any exit can be fitted with some sort of entrance alert alarm system. It is common to see magnetic or infrared alarms on windows that detect if the glass is broken or if the window is pulled open after hours. The same can be installed on doors and any other exit on a building. Very common for buildings is that the fire exit is often fitted out with some sort of a sensor that detects if it is open and then sounds the fire alarm in the building. This is especially the case for large public buildings such as offices, schools or hospitals.
Residential areas
It is also common nowadays to install complete security systems that monitor private homes. This kind of entrance alert system is especially useful if you go on vacation, or even during the day while you are at work, because you can get notifications on your smart phone or through the Internet.
Two thousand bucks for having your home illegally foreclosed on is an insult. But two billion dollars' worth of lawyers suing bankers on behalf of wronged homeowners could change everything. And a real investigation into bank crime could make a real difference.
Will we get those things? Maybe -- but only if we fight for them.
There are still opportunities to take action. (There's even a loophole in the deal that could still leave banks on the hook for robo-signing crimes.) So rather than attacking one another -- something progressives are very good at -- why don't we build pressure for the best outcome we can get?
Yesterday I was asked if I would discuss the foreclosure fraud settlement this morning on KPFK radio. This morning they told me they'd added David Dayen of Firedoglake, whose reporting on this deal continues to be the best anywhere, "to get a different perspective." It was a great discussion, but if they were looking for disgreement I'm afraid we disappointed them. (audio here)
Why Can't We All Just Get Along?
This conversation echoed the one I'd had yesterday evening on RT Television's Alyona program (below), as well as a million others taking place across the progressive community. I'm beginning to think the left looks more divided on this settlement than it really is -- or than it should be, anyway. (I think we can find some allies on the libertarian right, too, but that's a discussion for another day.)
The Alonya Show with Richard Eskow on the foreclosure fraud deal
Do I think some groups inside and outside Washington oversold this deal? Yes. But do I think that Eric Schneiderman and his allies made it considerably better than it would have been? Yes.
Do I think the dollar amounts are insultingly low? Do I think it traded away one of the best tools we had to force bankers to make real concessions? Yes and yes. Do I think it creates an opportunity for aggressive prosecutors to get some prosecutions going? Do I think it includes some tools that could result in a much better outcome? Again, yes and yes.
Despite all the heated arguments I've heard today, the two positions aren't mutually exclusive. I agree with all of the shortcomings Yves Smith, David Dayen and others have so thoroughly outlined -- and I've added a few of my own. But even if the deal protects bankers by building a brick wall around them, at least now there's a door or two in the wall.
In fact, if Dayen's source is right and there's no term sheet for this deal yet -- which is a mind-blowing possibility -- there's even a chance to make the doors bigger.
Two other scenarios are likelier, though. In one the public doesn't see the terms until they're finalized in court, and the deal is even better for the banks than we've been told. In the other, public pressure - along with allies like Schneiderman -- hold firm. In that case the deal either holds or the banks walk away and full-scale prosecutions can begin.
But without public pressure -- either because we've over-celebrated the deal or walked away from it -- the scenario that's worst for the public becomes the likeliest one.
Mad as Hell
Do I understand the anger, the outrage, the moral indignation? Of course. I feel it, too. (Like the old reggae song said: "Who feels it, knows it." If you've talked to and corresponded with a lot of people who've been screwed out of their homes, as I have, you'll feel it. See "Letters From Foreclosure Hell.")
The authorities had bankers dead-to-rights on forgery and perjury, which is what "robo-signing" really is, and they traded it away for a relative pittance. I wish they'd locked somebody up with this evidence -- or, better yet, sweated the small fry until they got to the top guys behind the criminal behavior. They locked up Al Capone for tax evasion, after all, not bribery or theft or murder.
Yeah, I'm ticked off that it played out the way it did. And I'm mad as hell about all the cushy SEC settlements, and about the Justice Department's lack of action over the last three years.
So can we stipulate the following? The money banks will have to pay is meaningless, if that's all they ever pay. The dollar amounts homeowners will receive in compensation is an insult, and the principal relief it offers are a tiny fraction of the real problem.
Now what? We keep fighting. What else?
Peace Train
That's why Dayen and I agreed on pretty much all of the key points. (He thought so too.) Both of us agreed on the deal's many failings. We also agreed on how it might be leveraged to get a whole lot more justice for American homeowners.
The operative word here is "might." Concerned activists prevented this deal from becoming the broad immunity from prosecution it was originally intended to be. Now that the deal's done, the fight's just beginning.
But if we're to get any more justice for American homeowners we're going to have to strike the right balance: Cheerleading for this deal creates a false sense that justice has been served and the battle's over. But trashing it altogether discourages people and could prevent them pressuring the administration and their state's attorney general to use the tools it does provide.
So fight the banks and their unshakeable allies. Pressure the people who can be pressured. Recognize and support our allies and friends. It sucks to find out that the bankers got their brick wall. But if we don't admit it has doors, we'll never walk through them.
The Doors
So can we agree? We lost an opportunity when this deal granted immunity for robo-signing crimes. But those doors could amount to something much bigger -- if we keep up the pressure on state and federal officials, and if we keep watching to make sure they walk through them.
The deal reportedly provides $2.75 billion for states to use at their discretion for things like homeowner help lines, financial counseling for distressed homeowners, and legal aid. As far as I'm concerned, help lines and counseling are fine -- but I'd spend most of the money on legal aid. I want a flotilla of lawyers moving against the banks in formation: demanding documents, taking depositions, and filing actions in state courts.
Two thousand dollars isn't much. But 2,000 dollars and an attorney who might get your house back -- or at least settle out of court for real money -- could be a lot.
Pressure Points
But will the states spend the money that aggressively? In many cases, no -- not unless they're put under intense scrutiny and pressure. We've already heard reports that some states plan to use the money to pay down their deficits. That's outrageous. It was outrageous when the Obama Administration used HAMP homeowner money for the same reason, or when Freddie Mac's CEO considered deficit reduction a higher priority than carrying out his mission.
So it's not enough to express outrage. We need to anticipate that kind of reaction, report on it, and react when it happens. And we've got to do some political triage: Who's with us, who's against us, and who can be swayed if we press them?
I believe that Matt Stoller's absolutely right when he says that a top priority under both Bush and Obama has been to preserve the capital structure of big banks at all costs. I attended one of those off-the-record meetings he cites -- one with a high government official -- and I can confirm that I was both shocked and surprised by the extent of the unnamed official's lack of support for homeowners and his concern for bank balance sheets.
I don't know how deeply held those beliefs are throughout the administration, but it doesn't really matter in this sense: getting re-elected is even more important. I don't know the precise combination of openmindedness and political calculus led to the reversals in this agreement, but I do know that public pressure eventually led to the inclusion of these words in the attorney general's statement:
The agreement does not prevent any action by individual borrowers who wish to bring their own lawsuits. State attorneys general also preserved, among other things, all claims against the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS), and all claims brought by borrowers.
So, if nothing else, they deserve recognition for bowing to public pressure. It's all a game of political triage, anyway, of learning who's with us, who's resolutely against us, and who can be swayed.
This is an important change. Schneiderman's already sued three banks over MERS, which has been both a corporate shell game and the digital gaming table for the Wall Street mortgage casino. And the ability to bring individual lawsuits is a big thing -- especially if there's money for lawyers to file them.
Loophole?
Then there's this:
"The agreement does not prevent state and federal authorities from pursuing criminal enforcement actions related to this or other conduct by the servicers. "
Now, we've been told banks were just given a free pass for foreclosure fraud, so this might just be a semantic problem. Mr. Holder may have thought he was leaving the door open to prosecuting servicing companies like DocX. But most of the country's large banks own part or all of their own servicers.
Might it be possible to grant bankers immunity from their bank crimes, but not for their servicing crimes? I don't know -- but every avenue should be pursued.
Keep on Pushing
Either way, Schneiderman and others can still pursue the pre-2008 crimes (alleged, of course) that drove the bubble, deceived homeowners, and crashed the economy. These (alleged) crimes include: lending fraud; investor fraud in the selling of mortgage-backed securities; securities fraud in making false statements in annual reports, shareholder meetings, and investor calls; suborning fraud in the hiring of dishonest appraisers to inflate the value of a home -- and there's more where that came from.
But time's running out. The statute of limitations is looming on some of these crimes. Schneiderman and his team need resources that they're not likely to get with an angry -- but reasonably hopeful -- citizenry demanding that they get them. Attorneys general will be tempted to waste that resource money, or will target it for their own purposes rather than where they'll do the most good.
There are doors in this deal -- doors that lead to a better deal for homeowners and a chance at restoring justice. Progressives need to recognize that these doors exist, and then demand that our elected officials use them. What's lousy is lousy, but that's no reason to let an opportunity go to waste.
As we keep saying: The battle is over but the war goes on.
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Follow Richard (RJ) Eskow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rjeskow
So you are either setting up a new business and you need a new telephone system to support it, or your old business telephone just is not working out anymore. In either case, you are starting to look at all the options which are available right now ? and chances are good which you find them exceedingly overwhelming. This isn?t surprising at all, considering the fact that we live in a choice-happy environment, wherein there?s a large selection of solutions catering to each and every type of consumer.
But here?s the thing: you do not need to succumb to paralysis by analysis simply because of the sheer number of telephone system alternatives you have. Making the right telephone solution choices could be as simple as knowing what every business telephone needs to be able to do. They do not need to be according to features (although they might need some features to work superbly). They can be as simple as:
Superb Capacity for Adapting to Communication Styles
At the end of the day each person ? and each organization ? has a different way of approaching and managing calls no matter how common you think the act of communicating via phone might be. This is where looking at telephone system features come in handy, mainly due to the fact that it is the telephone features that help make phone operations effective. But you have to bear in mind that it?s how they are able to be used; it is not the features themselves which are essential.
First of all, you need to make sure that the telephone features that you simply select for your company phones will actually contribute to the general effectiveness of your office?s communication system. Beyond that, as not to disrupt your work procedure, you?ll need to make sure that said features may be successfully adapted to your working style. This is a primary requirement for a telephone system used for businesses and professionals.
Good Call Quality
This can be, above all, the most important thing you need to look for when shopping for a new telephone system for your business. It may be easy to overlook when all of the other bells and whistles are vying for your attention, but at the end of the day this is the number one thing you must concentrate on. Having a business telephone that essentially fails on this count is neither worth your time and your money, given that the primary reason why anybody would get and use a phone is effective real time communication.
Before you commit to a professional telephone plan, ensure that your new phone service provider allows you to take its products and services on a dry run. If you?ll find skips, echoes and drops to the sound of your phone calls, then consider another provider.
You need to take note, however, that the call quality can also be affected by other factors ? it may just be that your current communications infrastructure isn?t compatible with the telephone solution you are considering. Talk to experts, and learn what you may need to improve your options.
Without this, your business telephone system will not be the best communications solution for you.
Achieve efficiency with our advanced business telephone service and discover on how phone system may also enhance your business.
Tagged as: business telephone, phone service, phone services, phone system
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. Postal Service said Thursday that its quarterly loss widened to $3.3 billion amid declining mail volume and mounting costs for future retiree health benefits as it struggles to stave off bankruptcy.
From October through December 2011, losses were $3 billion more than the same period a year ago, even though that quarter is typically the strongest due to increased holiday shipping. The mail agency said that at this rate, it will run out of money by October.
The Postal Service is seeking new leeway from Congress to eliminate Saturday mail delivery, raise stamp prices and reduce health and other labor costs.
Also at stake are roughly 100,000 jobs, part of a postal cost-cutting plan to save up to $6.5 billion a year by closing 252 mail processing centers and up to 3,700 post offices. At the request of Congress, the cash-strapped agency agreed to wait until mid-May to begin closures so lawmakers would have time to stabilize its finances first.
Prospects for immediate congressional action remain uncertain.
"Passage of legislation is urgently needed that provides the Postal Service with the speed and flexibility needed to cut costs that are not under our control, including employee health costs," said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.
He said the post office must cut $20 billion in annual costs by 2015 so it can reach profitability, rather than becoming a "long-term burden to taxpayers."
Overall, the post office had income of $17.7 billion from October through December, the first quarter of its 2012 fiscal year. That was down $200 million from the same period last year. Expenses were $17.5 billion.
In addition, the Postal Service had costs stemming from yearly advance payments of roughly $5.5 billion to a future retiree health-benefit fund. Because the agency is low on cash, Congress agreed to extend the legal deadline for last year's payment until this fall, when this year's payment will also be due.
In its financial statement, the post office spread the total $11.1 billion in costs over 12 months, creating additional quarterly debt of more than $3 billion. Without those annual payments ? not required of other government agencies ? the post office would have posted a profit in most recent years and had a loss of roughly $200 million in the last quarter.
The Postal Service also has been rocked by declining mail volume as people and businesses continue switching to the Internet in place of letters and paper bills. The number of items mailed during the last quarter was 43.7 billion pieces, a 6 percent decrease, much of it in first-class mail.
On the positive side, postal shipping services such as express and priority mail had an 8 percent increase in income to $3.2 billion, with package volume in the holiday period nearly double that of FedEx and UPS, according to postal officials.
Separate proposals passed last year by House and Senate committees would scrap or reduce the annual health prepayment requirement, but they differ widely on financial oversight and a reduction to five-day-a-week delivery. The Senate initially planned to take action earlier this month but stalled as some lawmakers pushed for changes that would delay decisions on closings and delivery cuts for two more years.
On Thursday, Donahoe said reducing the size of its postal network was critical to its efforts to reduce costs. Closure of mail-processing centers were still planned to begin after mid-May. He said the mail agency was revising some of its proposals to accommodate the needs of rural communities, which rely more heavily on postal service for the delivery of newspapers, prescription drugs and other services.
As part of the changes, the mail agency plans cuts to first-class mail that would slow delivery and, for the first time, virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day.
"We have to make sure we are taking actions that are swift to maintain our liquidity and pay our bills," said chief financial officer Joe Corbett, warning that large losses will continue without changes.
Last year, postal losses totaled $5.1 billion.
In the event of a postal shutdown, private companies such as FedEx and UPS could handle a small portion of the material the post office moves, but they do not go everywhere. No business has shown interest in delivering letters everywhere in the country for a set rate of 45 cents for a first-class letter.
"We have a Postal Service that essentially is living from paycheck to paycheck, which is a very risky proposition for the American economy and the 8 million private sector workers whose jobs rely on the mail," said Art Sackler, coordinator of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, a group representing the private sector mailing industry. "Each day Congress fails to enact postal reform, this problem grows more difficult and perhaps more expensive to resolve."
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By: Tharpe Chanelle
Managing your personal finances is a vital skill in today's fast-paced, digital money era. Unless you pay attention to where your money is going, you will end up losing it. This article is full of helpful tips to keep you focused on what you're spending your money on and how to manage that spending.
Always pay your credit card bill in full! Many consumers do not realize that paying only the monthly charges allows the credit card company to add interest to your payments. You may end up paying much more than you were originally quoted. To avoid these interest charges, pay as much as you can up front, preferably, the whole amount due.
When it comes to personal finance everyone thinks of savings. One way to improve your finances is actually spending! If you always pay your credit card balances in full get a rewards card that offers cash back or other various incentives like free flights. Then the money you would have used on the flight, or the cash you get back, you are really saving a certain percentage.
If you want to save money, then look hard at your current spending patterns. It is easy to theoretically "wish" you could save money, but actually doing it requires some self-discipline and a little detective work. For one month, write down all of your expenses in a notebook. Commit to writing down everything, such as, morning coffee, taxi fare or pizza delivery for the kids. The more accurate and specific you are, then the better understanding you will get for where your money is really going. Knowledge is power! Scrutinize your log at the end of the month to find the areas you can cut back on and bank the savings. Small changes add up to big dollars over time, but you have to make the effort.
If you are thinking of starting a business, but are worried about your personal financial situation, pitch your plan to investors or a financially-sound potential business partner. It might not be ideal, but you can get your business off the ground if your idea sounds profitable enough to the right people.
Home equity loans are tempting but dangerous. If you miss a payment on a home equity loan, you could lose your home. Make sure that you can afford the monthly payments and that you have a significant emergency savings built up before taking out any loans against your home.
Every time you get a raise, set aside at least half of the new, after-tax increase for saving more each month. You will still enjoy a higher income and will never miss the extra money which you were never used to spending. It is even better if you set up your paycheck or checking account to transfer the money to savings automatically.
Now that you've read all of our tips, you should be ready to begin managing your personal finances properly. If you're new to the world of personal finance, you may consider bookmarking this article so that you can come back to it when you need to. If you need more information, there are plenty of other pieces of advice floating around just waiting to help you.
Author Resource:->??(C) Jospeh K. S. Hebert-Aguilar. Visit this website for well-rounded suggestions ~ An Analysis Of scholarships and grants & Anti Wrinkle Injections.
